Bemis Heritage Day will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at the Bemis Mill Village Museum which
was built in 1921-1922 as the Bemis Auditorium. The centennial celebration will honor this beautiful
building located at 2 North Missouri Street in Jackson. The celebration will include the bicentennial
anniversaries of the City of Jackson and Madison County. Special guests will be Jackson Mayor Scott
Conger and Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris.
Museum doors will open at 10:00 a.m. with free admission. Browse the museum to visit with friends and
to view artifacts and vintage photos. Visit the museum’s Company Store to purchase a cookbook,
coloring book, keepsake hand-held fan, historical ornaments, baseball caps (Historic Bemis and Chat ‘N
Chew), DVDs of vintage photos, and other items listed on our website.
At 10:10 a.m., the Jackson Recreation & Parks Department will hold a grand opening of the new
playground equipment purchased from funds donated by Amerigroup for the Stella Duncan Park of Bemis
at 110 South Missouri Street.
From 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., Bobby McAlexander will display his impressive and detailed ceramic
replica of the Chat ‘N Chew, a well-known hangout, that was located beside South Side High School on
South Highland Avenue from 1958 until 1972. Rhonda Young will have a display for historic
preservation, “Archives R Us: Preserving Our Family Archives.”
From 10:30 until 11:00 a.m., a program inside the museum will include a joint proclamation by Mayor
Conger and Mayor Harris. There will be a portrayal of Ransom Hammond, Employee of Bemis Bro. Bag
Company, portrayed by his grandson Greg M. Hammond, and a portrayal of a Bemis Book Club Founder
from 1930, portrayed by current member Judy Roach Dorris. The Jackson-Madison Chapter, National
Society Daughters of the American Revolution, will recognize our United States veterans on Armed
Forces Day. The City of Jackson Fire Department will display a large flag of the United States of
America in front of the museum.
Lunch will be available under the tent on the front lawn of the museum from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
(or until sold out) with delicious barbecue plates by Gaylon Cooper for $10 per plate (including soft
drink). Will Kemp from R & J Feed Supply will provide homemade strawberry ice cream (made in an ice
cream maker powered by a John Deere motor) for $3 per cup with all proceeds to Bemis Historical
Society. Enjoy live music from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s performed by the Bemis Boogie Blues Band
– Willi X Evans, Steve Patterson, Tony McCaslin, and Bobby Cleary.
From 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., Joel Jackson, Chairman of Bemis Historical Society, will present a slideshow of
photos about the Bemis Auditorium/Museum, including the entire building – attic, balcony, main floor,
basement, and tunnel.
Children can enjoy the splash pad at the Bemis Mill Memorial Park located at 7 A Street and the
playground at the Stella Duncan Park. Games will also be available at the museum for children and the
young at heart under the direction of the Jackson Recreation & Parks Department. Get ready for a game
of washers, cornhole, and other fun games.
Bemis Historical Society looks forward to sharing their Bemis heritage on May 21. Anyone interested in
the history of Bemis, Jackson, and Madison County is welcome to attend.
